Club Descent II
by Aeon65
Summary: Tim’s past comes back to haunt him. This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don’t read this. This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Re
1. Chapter 1

Title: Club Descent: Taken (1/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics

Prompt: #6 Claws

Word Count: 1850

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

ooo

Monday, April 5, 2004 (early morning)

Horatio parked his Hummer in front of a small house off of Coral Way in Sweetwater. Eric Delko was already on the scene along with Frank Tripp, Alexx Woods, and a small army of uniformed officers. The area in front of the house looked like the parking lot at MDPD. He made his way through the sea of blue and red lights and under the crime scene tape then stepped just inside the front entrance and stopped to survey the area. The house was a small, single story, cape style, typical for the usually quiet suburban neighborhood. The only difference between it and its neighbors was the presence of a dead body in the living room. Alexx was hunched over the remains of a young man, doing a preliminary examination. She looked up when Horatio approached her.

"What have we got, Alexx?" he asked, fingering the sunglasses he held in his hands.

"Well, I'm no CSI, Horatio, but I'd say this is the same guy," she answered.

Horatio had feared, when he'd gotten the call, that they had another victim of their serial killer. This made the fourth body in as many days.

"Time of death, Alexx?" he asked glancing around the room, his mind already taking in various details of his surroundings.

"Couple of weeks, based on decomp. Won't know for sure 'til I get him back for the post. We might need the forensic entomologist for an exact timeline."

"Couple of weeks," Horatio concurred. "So this one died before the others."

"So it would seem," Alexx said.

"So it would seem," he repeated somewhat distracted. He turned to his CSI who was already processing the surrounding area. "Eric, what have you found?"

Eric shrugged. "Not much," he said. "Looks like the area's been wiped clean just like the other sites. There were a few hairs and fibers on the body. I'm gonna get them back to trace. I did find some prints this time."

"How did we find out about this one?" Horatio asked, already thinking he knew the answer.

"Another anonymous phone call to dispatch," Eric replied.

Horatio gave him a quick nod. It was as he'd expected. "So he's playing with us, leading us around from body to body." He paused and thought for a moment. "But why leave this one until now if he was killed earlier?"

"I wish I knew," Eric replied.

Horatio gave him his most encouraging look. "We will, Eric. We will know. Do we have IDs on any of the other victims yet?"

"Not yet H, Calleigh's working on that back at the lab."

"Okay." Horatio gestured toward the body. "This guy just moved to the head of the class. There's a reason our killer saved this one for us. He's too meticulous for this to have been an oversight," Horatio said. "We need to find out this man's identity. He may be the key to catching this guy."

ooo

Horatio was walking down the hallway of CSI toward the computer room when he felt a buzzing in the pocket of his jacket. He reached in a pulled out his cell phone.

"Horatio," he answered.

"Hey, missed you this morning," Tim said, still a bit sleepy. "Where'd you disappear to?"

Horatio's face broke into a gentle smile. "Got an early call from dispatch. I didn't want to wake you."

"Same case?" Tim asked and he heard Horatio sigh.

"Unfortunately, yes. We have another one."

"I'm sorry. I know how much you want to get this guy," Tim said. "Do you think you'll be home for dinner?"

Horatio continued to walk as he talked and stopped just outside the door of the computer room. "Barring any major breakthroughs, I expect so. What did you have in mind?"

"I'll pick something up after class. Then I was thinking I could maybe come up with an idea of something to distract you from your current troubles."

He could almost hear Tim's smirk in his reply and chuckled. "I like the way your mind works. I'll see you later."

"Okay. Love you." Tim said.

"Love you too. Stay safe," Horatio replied before he flipped his phone shut.

He walked into the room and Calleigh smiled at him. "Tim?" she asked. Horatio nodded. "How's he doing?"

"Good," Horatio answered. "He's doing good."

He had been worried, in the beginning, when it became obvious that they weren't going to catch Simon. But Tim had managed to keep things together. He returned to work, continued with his research, and continued to teach. Their relationship had had its ups and downs. Tim tended to be a bit moody and at times would close himself in the study wanting to be left alone. But Horatio had given him his space and things had settled into a happy little routine.

"What have you got, Calleigh?" Horatio asked.

"I've been scouring missing persons cases but so far I haven't come across any of our victims. I've expanded the search to surrounding states. You never know."

"Good thinking, Cal. Keep trying," he said staring at the computer screen. "What's this?"

"Oh, not related. I just came across it while I was searching. Goes to show you just how twisted some people can be. A family in Waleska, Georgia reported their sixteen-year-old son missing a couple of months ago. He's got an IQ of around 50. They think his nanny took him."

Horatio shook his head. "I just don't understand some people." He turned to leave the room. "Let me know if you turn something up. I'll be in autopsy."

ooo

Horatio opened the door to the autopsy theater and wrinkled his nose slightly at the odor of decomp coming from the room.

"Horatio," Alexx greeted.

"Alexx, what can you tell me?" he asked.

"This is definitely the same guy," she said as she looked over at him. "Or a very good copycat." She rolled the body onto its side. "Check this out. It's a bit hard to see with the level of decomposition but…"

She gestured to a series of deep cuts along the victim's back. The pattern would normally be indicative of animal activity, given the length and spread, like claw marks. But the cuts were made with surgical precision. There was no tearing around the wounds.

Horatio nodded. "Just like the others." Alexx nodded. "COD?" he asked.

"Hard to tell for certain but it looks like he was stabbed. There is a wound over his heart but it's too decayed to be certain. I did find some small pieces of paper in his pockets. They are soaked through with body fluids but maybe QD can get something once they are dried out."

Horatio took the plastic bag with the papers from Alexx. "Thanks Alexx. Let me know what else you turn up," he said on his way out the door.

ooo

Horatio handed the plastic bag over to the documents tech. She opened it before he could warn her. "Uh!" she exclaimed as the smell hit her then she quickly closed the bag again. "No offence Lieutenant, but you could've warned me."

"Never open before asking," he advised. "These were recovered from the dead body we found this morning. I need to know what's on them as soon as possible."

The tech examined the papers through the plastic. "Well, they're about the size of business cards. I'll have to dry them out first then separate them. It will take a little while but I should have something for you by morning."

Horatio smiled. "Thanks," he said. Then he leaned in close to her and said, "Use a mask."

As he walked out she muttered, "Yeah, I'll do that."

ooo

Tim spent his morning doing some housework. His first class wasn't until eleven-thirty and Jess had the lab covered. He cleaned up from breakfast, vacuumed, and collected Horatio's dirty suits and piled them by the front door so he wouldn't forget to take them to the dry cleaner's. As he placed the suits on the table he glanced at his left hand and the gold band around his ring finger. Horatio had given it to him only two days ago after a romantic night out as a symbol that their relationship had reached a new stage, one that he'd hoped would last a lifetime. He flushed slightly as he remembered what took place after they had arrived home that night. He was even more pleased to see Horatio wearing the matching band the next morning when he awoke. He knew it was as close to marriage as they would ever be able to get. He shook his head at how sappy he'd become. He still had more to do this morning.

Before he left the house he went into the study and booted the computer up so he could check his email. He worked his way through his student's emails with last minute questions before the exam he was giving them that afternoon. Down toward the bottom of the list he saw an email from an address he'd come to recognize. He deleted it without reading it this time. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Simon today.

He received regular emails from his psycho ex that he hadn't told anyone about, not even Horatio. Most of them were taunts hurled at him for making it so he had to leave Miami, veiled threats to return and seek revenge. Every one of them ended with Simon promising that Tim would be his again. The emails always put him in a bad mood when he read them. Sometimes he couldn't help himself and he would open them, read them, and get scared that Simon would actually carry out his threats. But after six months he'd reached a point where he was beginning to see them as empty threats. After all, the longest Simon had ever left him for was seven weeks without reappearing in his life. His greatest hope was that by killing Rosie, Simon had finally done himself in. He must know that to return to Miami now would only bring about his arrest, or worse.

Tim shook himself out of his thoughts and went to get ready for work. Remembering at the last minute as he was leaving the house he closed and lock the sliding glass door that lead down to the beach. Horatio didn't like it that he kept that door open when he was home alone. He worried that if Simon returned he would be able to get into the house and hurt Tim. But Tim felt safe there and he hated being cooped up in a stuffy house with no open windows.

Once he was certain that the house was secure, he headed out to run some errands then to the university. He took his car since he would need to stop at the grocery store on his way home to pick up something for dinner. As he drove down the quiet suburban streets heading for the city, he was unaware of the car that matched his every turn, following him through his routine.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Club Descent: Taken (2/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics / table

Prompt: #1 Ravished

Word Count: 1990

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

ooo

Horatio stood in the layout room with the files of their four dead men trying to ascertain a pattern. There were no physical similarities between the victims. None seem to have been reported missing, at least that they'd been able to determine. This could mean that they were transients, which would make things even more difficult for them. None had been killed where they'd been found except for the last one, the one that was found that morning. All of the scenes had been wiped clean and none of the men had identification. As much as he hated to admit it, it seemed like the perfect crime.

"There is no such thing," he chided himself.

"No such thing as what?" Eric asked as he walked into the room.

Horatio looked up. "The perfect crime."

Eric shook his head. "No, there's not."

Horatio could tell by the look on his face when he said that, that he'd found something. His face brightened slightly. "Did you find something, Eric?"

"Fibers found on the victim are white cotton threads, like from a towel. I sent them over to DNA to see if we can pull a sample other than the vic's. But here's the clincher, the trace I found all over the vic's shoes and clothes, Acer Spicatum pollen."

He handed the file over to Horatio. "Mountain Maple? That's not indigenous to Florida."

"Northwest Georgia, primarily," Eric stated.

Horatio pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and hit the speed dial for Calleigh. "Cal, concentrate on Georgia. Our last victim was there fairly recently before he died," he said and flipped his phone shut. He looked over at Eric. "She's going through missing persons from the surrounding area." Eric nodded. "You said you found some fingerprints as well?"

"Yeah, H. There running through AFIS right now," Eric replied. "Have we been able to print the vic?"

"Alexx is taking care of that. I don't know how much of the fingers are salvageable."

ooo

The prints Eric found turned out to be from the victim but they still had no ID on the man. His prints were not in the system, at least in Florida. The national search would take some time, as would the DNA. The rest of the day had been a waiting game, which Horatio finally tired of. He decided to go home and spend the evening trying to forget about this day.

As he walked up the front path he could hear the music playing from inside the house. He smiled and shook his head as he opened the door. He saw Tim in the kitchen swaying to the music, something soft and spacey, as he was cooking dinner. He could also see that the sliding glass door was open and the table on the deck was set. He wanted to say something but he could see that Tim had gone to the trouble of cooking dinner rather than just picking up take out so he decided not to chide him about the open door. It was an ongoing argument between them and he didn't need to bring it up right now. Horatio stepped up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist. He rested his chin on Tim shoulder.

"Smells wonderful," he said. Tim smiled and turned his head giving Horatio a quick kiss. "I thought you were just going to pick something up?"

Tim shrugged. "I got out early and you sounded sort of frustrated on the phone this afternoon. I thought a home cooked meal was a better idea."

"Hey, I'm not complaining," Horatio said as he pulled Tim from the stove and into his arms.

His mouth descended on Tim's and Tim melted into Horatio's embrace, wrapping his arms around his neck and allowing Horatio to deepen the kiss. Horatio pulled back leaving Tim breathless. It took him a moment to find his voice.

"Um," he had to clear his throat causing Horatio to chuckle. "Why don't you get changed and I'll finish up here. I thought we could eat outside tonight."

"Sounds good," Horatio said and after one more kiss he headed upstairs to change.

ooo

Horatio sat back in his chair after finishing his meal. "That was wonderful. Thanks for cooking," he said.

Tim blushed just a bit. "You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it."

He got up and took the plates into the kitchen. Horatio followed with their wine glasses and the remainder of what they'd brought outside. They cleaned up together and got everything put away then Tim turned to Horatio and asked, "Want to see what I have planned for dessert?"

Horatio raised an eyebrow at his tone. "Is it food or…"

"Or," Tim answered as he leaned in and captured Horatio's mouth in a heated kiss.

After a few moments Horatio broke the kiss and said, "I like 'or'."

Tim chuckled and took his hand and led him up the stairs. As soon as they were in the bedroom, Tim pulled Horatio into another kiss as he unbuttoned his shirt and opened his pants. By the time Horatio pulled back he was breathless and almost naked. He stepped out of his remaining clothes then pulled Tim's shirt up over his head. Tim quickly shed his pants and boxers and Horatio pulled him into another kiss. Tim backed Horatio up to the bed and gave him a playful push. He fell backwards onto the bed. Tim climbed up on top of him, straddling his legs. He leaned forward and kissed his way down Horatio's chest to his stomach then over his cock. Horatio gasped as he felt Tim's mouth close around him and he thrust up. Tim pulled back and let him slip from his mouth eliciting a small whimper from his lover.

He kissed his way back up to Horatio's mouth then whispered against his lips, "You want to play a game?"

Horatio was still catching his breath but he asked, "What kind of game?"

Tim reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the lube and a condom. Tim kept his voice low and soft. "I can bring you right to the edge," he said as he lubed two fingers, leaned back and inserted them into his own opening. He closed his eyes as he began stretching himself. "And keep you there. I promise," he breathed. "It will be mind-blowing."

Horatio moaned as he watched Tim fuck himself with his own fingers but he managed to nod. Tim sat back on Horatio's legs and slowly rolled the condom over his impossibly hard and aching cock. Horatio's head fell back onto the pillow and he moaned as he felt the latex sheath him. Tim rose up and aligned his hole with the tip of Horatio's member. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he impaled himself until he was sitting on Horatio. Horatio lay panting and Tim sat completely still until he had calmed.

Horatio tried to arch his hips to urge Tim to move but Tim laid a hand on his chest and shook his head. He had promised Horatio a mind blowing night and aimed to keep his promise. There was no hurry. They had all night and there was no need for things to end any time soon. Once Horatio had settled down again he slowly began to rock his hips and Horatio's breath caught in his throat.

Tim leaned forward and whispered against his lips, "Breath."

Horatio hadn't realized he was holding his breath and suddenly expelled a lungful of air. Tim sat up again and continued to gently rock back and forth. They had never played this game before. It was all about self-control and Horatio had to make it a conscious effort to remember to breath as small ripples of pleasure ran up and down his spine. Tim leaned forward again and took one of Horatio's nipples onto his mouth. As he began suckling he slowly rose up, exposing Horatio's cock to the cool air, then slowly lowered himself back down again. Horatio moaned deep in this chest and crossed his legs at the ankles to keep from thrusting up.

Tim continued alternating between his slow rocking and gentle pumping as he began kissing his way up Horatio's neck. He took Horatio's mouth for a slow kiss, mimicking with his tongue what Horatio's cock was doing inside his body. Horatio moaned into the kiss and ran his hands down Tim's back to his ass. Tim slowly rose up and held himself with just the tip of Horatio cock inside moving just slightly back and forth. Horatio felt a spark of pleasure run through his body and scraped his nails over Tim's ass as he gasped.

Tim slowly sat back again and gave Horatio a moment to catch his breath. He was being careful to angle himself so as not to hit that one spot inside of himself that would cause him to lose control but his own hard leaking cock was aching for some attention. He took Horatio's hand and placed over his organ. Horatio first instinct was to start pumping him but Tim kept his hand over Horatio's.

"Gently," he whispered and Horatio lightened his grasp. He opened his hand and ran his palm over the soft silky skin. "That's it," Tim moaned as his head fell back on his shoulders. Horatio ran his thumb over and around the head, spreading the pre-cum he found there as Tim began to rock his hips again and his inner muscles began to pulse just slightly around Horatio's cock as he gently worked him.

"Oh God," Horatio swore.

He would never have thought himself capable of lasting so long but Tim had kept them both right on the edge for what felt like an eternity. But he also knew that he had a trick or two he could teach Tim. Reaching his limit with the slow sweet torture Tim was subjecting him to, with a sudden burst of strength, he flipped them over and took the dominant position. He pushed Tim's legs up and sat back on his heels. He pulled all of the way out then thrust back in one hard fast movement. Tim gasped and moaned all at once as Horatio's cock brushed his prostate. Horatio continued pound into Tim's body until he knew he couldn't hold himself back much longer. All it took was one stroke to Tim's cock and he cried out. But as Tim came Horatio pushed at his knees forcing his legs down and out and drawing Tim's orgasm out for an impossibly long time until he was seeing stars. With Tim's muscles pulsing violently around him he came hard himself with a loud moan of Tim's name on his lips.

Horatio awoke a short while later, his body still tingling from head to toe and his cock still twitching as Tim ran his hand over it. He moaned and arched up into the touch. Tim continued to massage his limp dick and though he didn't get hard again he did experience a small secondary orgasm that left him completely sated and spent. He managed to roll himself over to lie on top of Tim. As he covered Tim's mouth with his own he could feel his partners arousal begin to press against his belly. He rose up and quickly took Tim's cock into his mouth. Tim arched up and in a matter of a few seconds shot his release down Horatio's throat. Horatio kissed his way up Tim's heated and sweaty body to his mouth. He pulled back and stared deep into his dark brown eyes.

"I have no words," was all he could say.

Tim had three. "I love you."

Horatio's smile beamed back at him. "With all my heart," he said as he rolled to his side pulling Tim with him and into his arms as he settled in for the best night's sleep he'd had for a long time.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Club Descent: Taken (3/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics / table

Prompt: #41 Fixation

Word Count: 1700

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

Tuesday, April 6, 2004

Horatio sat at the kitchen table sipping his coffee. He could still feel a slight tingle all over from the night before. Tim wandered in still half asleep, poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table across from him. Horatio looked over at him and smirked thinking just how cute he looked first thing in the morning before he was really awake. He reached a foot under the table and ran it up Tim's leg. Tim looked up and smiled.

"So, what's your schedule today?" Horatio asked.

Tim took a swig of his coffee before he answered. "I have a stack of exams this high to grade," he said holding his hand about a foot off the table. "I hate teaching undergraduate classes." After another sip of coffee he added, "Then I have class this afternoon 'til four-thirty. You?"

"I'm just hoping we get through the day without finding another body," Horatio sighed.

Tim looked up from his coffee. "This case is really getting to you, isn't it?"

"Four bodies in four days and no solid leads, yeah it's getting to me."

Tim got up and walked around behind his lover. He could hear the frustration in his voice and see the tension in his body. He began massaging Horatio's neck and shoulders and was rewarded with a groan that came from deep inside the redhead's chest. Horatio let his head fall forward and his arms go limp at his sides.

"God, you're good at that," he sighed.

After a few moments Tim stopped then leaned down and placed a kiss on the back of Horatio's neck. "You have to get to work," he said quietly into his neck.

"Hmm," Horatio muttered. He stood up and pulled Tim into his arms, kissing him deeply. When he pulled back he said, "We'll have to finish this later, I'm afraid."

"Tease," Tim said with a smirk. "I have an idea. How about we go out for dinner tonight? Some place nice." He waggled his eyebrows. "Then when we get home I can help you to relax a bit, again."

Horatio chuckled. "Sounds like a plan. Why don't you pick a place and make reservations." And with one more kiss he said, "I've got to go. I'll call you later." On his way out the door he called back, "Love you," and the door shut before Tim could respond.

Once Horatio was gone, Tim opened the sliding glass door that led to the beach, letting some fresh air into the house, and then cleaned up the dishes Horatio had left from his breakfast. When he was done he poured himself another cup of coffee and stepped out onto the back deck. He inhaled deeply breathing in the fresh salt air before he stepped off the deck and walked out onto the sand.

ooo

From the shadows at the side of the house, a pair of eyes watched. Patience was the key to doing this right, Simon thought. He'd crouched there in that same spot many times over the past few weeks, never noticed by anyone. He'd waited for the perfect moment and now it had arrived. He'd seen Horatio pull out of the driveway and then watched Tim walk out onto the beach, alone and unprotected. He'd pulled his van into the driveway then slipped back into the bushes. He could see Tim sitting out by the water completely oblivious to his presence so he crept around to the back and slipped through the open sliding glass door and into the house.

A short while later Tim headed back to the house. He knew he couldn't put off grading his exams any longer. He figured he would lock himself in the study for a few hours and plow through them but there was just something about freshman chemistry exams that made him cringe. He walked through the back door and placed his cup in the sink then glanced at the clock and noticed that it was still early. His first class wasn't until one o'clock so he had plenty of time to get the job done. He sighed and wandered toward the back room.

Simon slipped back into the darkened area behind the stairs and waited for Tim to pass. He fingered the chloroform soaked rag that he held in his hand. As soon as Tim had gotten a few feet ahead, Simon crept up and grabbed him from behind, clamping his hand over Tim's mouth and pulling one of his arms up and behind his back. Tim struggled and grasped at Simon's arm with his free hand.

"Don't struggle Timmy. You'll just make things worse," Simon said into his ear.

Tim tried to yell but the sound was muffled by Simon's hand. It didn't take long before Tim stopped struggling and his body went limp. When he came to he was lying on the floor with his arms tied behind his back and duct tape over his mouth. He craned his neck around and saw Simon standing by the front window staring outside. Tim's movement caught his attention and he turned to face him.

Simon smiled and made a wide gesture around the room. "You have a nice house here Timmy. I have to give you credit, you make a lovely wife." Tim glared at him. "You send your man off every morning with a kiss, clean his house, cook his meals. You do his laundry, iron his shirts and take his clothes to the cleaners. Just like a good wife should." His voice was thick with sarcasm. He knelt down in front of Tim. "You even wear his ring," he snarled turning the gold band over between his thumb and forefinger.

He stood up and began pacing the room leaving Tim with his mind racing. He realized, to his horror, that Simon had probably been watching them and for some time otherwise how would he know all of those things. He tried to think back over the past few weeks but couldn't recall any time when anything seemed out of place. He watched Simon walk into the kitchen and place the ring on the counter. He walked back into the living room.

"What am I going to do with you, Timmy?" he asked shaking his head. "You used to be such a good boy." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of black cloth. Then, kneeling down, he tied it around Tim's eyes. Tim tried to shake his head to dislodge the blindfold but it was no use. It was tied securely in place. "Can't have you see where we're taking you now, can we?"

He heard Simon whistle and someone else enter the house. He was lifted to his feet, dragged outside and thrown into the back of the van. He heard the engine start and felt the van move. He tried to yell, he tried to struggle but there was nothing he could do. He was trapped.

ooo

Tim tried not to panic as he struggled against the restraints. His arms were aching and his wrists were raw. He had no idea how long he had been hanging there but it was at least a couple of hours, long enough for him to start kicking himself for being so stupid and letting his guard down. He didn't even know where he was, having been blindfolded before he was tossed into the back of the van. He was able to spin himself around to get a good look at the room he was in, no windows, only one door. Unfortunately he could also see Simon's toys lying around the room.

He worried about how Horatio would react when he realized that he was gone. Will he think that I just up and left him, he thought. Tim shook his head. No, he'll be worried, worried sick. But he also knew that Horatio would do everything in his power to save him. Horatio wouldn't rest until he was found. He was sure of it. He could endure until then. After all, he had endured when there had been no hope at all.

He pulled at his wrists again but the leather bands were too tight and he only succeeded in cutting into the flesh more. The waiting was the worst part of this. He already knew what Simon was capable of. He had a fleeting thought that maybe Simon had strung him up and just taken off, leaving him to die, slowly. But a sound at the door dashed those hopes. He spun around in the direction of the door, catching sight of his worst nightmare as he strode toward him.

Tim tried to back away even though he knew he couldn't actually go anywhere. It was simply instinct and useless, but he struggled to get loose anyway. Simon grinned at him but didn't say anything. He just watched him struggle.

After a moment he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out what looked like a wide leather strap. It took Tim a moment to realize what it was, a collar. Simon had made him wear one before, in the beginning, as a way to control him but also as a symbol of Simon's ownership of him. Tim scowled and turned his head away. Simon reached out with one hand and grabbed Tim's face forcing him to look up. Tim glared, showing his defiance. Simon smirked.

Tim's heart was pounding and it was taking all of his conscious effort to maintain his defiant attitude. All of his instincts were telling him to submit, to not anger Simon further. But he just kept telling himself that Horatio would find him and when he did, he needed to be in control of himself. Simon forced his head to one side and wrapped the collar around his neck, closing the pad lock in the back. The collar wasn't tight enough to cut off Tim's breathing but it did cause him a considerable amount of discomfort when he tried to move his head. Simon patted his cheek then turned then left the room.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Club Descent: Taken (4/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics

Prompt: #12 Bound

Word Count: 1940

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

ooo

"They're business cards, Lieutenant, from several different clubs around Miami," she told him.

Horatio stood in front of the table in the questioned documents lab listening to the tech's report on the papers found on their murder victim the day before. She had separated each card into its own clear plastic evidence bag and handed them to him one at a time. He stopped her after she handed him the third card, immediately recognizing the logo of Club Descent. He looked at his watch and realized it was too early to call Max so he took the rest of the cards and headed over to the layout room.

He laid out all of the cards on the table and looked them over. He recognized most of them as being from gay clubs around the area and was immediately struck by the idea that these murders could easily be hate crimes. But at the same time he realized that they might have just found the connection between all of their victims.

Eric walked into the room. "Prints are a bust. They belong to the victim but he's not in the system, anywhere," he said sounding a little disappointed.

"Well, I might have something," Horatio said as he gestured toward the table.

Eric looked over the contents of the bags. "What's all this?"

"The papers we found on the body from yesterday," he explained. He pointed to the first card, the one belonging to Club Descent, and Eric raised an eyebrow. "I recognize most of the others as similar type clubs."

Eric looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

Horatio rolled his eyes. "We need to canvas these clubs and see if anyone recognizes any of our victims."

Eric looked at his watch. "I think it's a little early for clubs, H," he said.

Horatio nodded. "This afternoon. Most of these places open their bars around two-thirty."

Eric stared at him for a moment. "Do I want to know how you know that?"

One side of Horatio's mouth quirked up and he raised an eyebrow. "Probably not," he said.

ooo

Tim leaned his head against his left arm. That was the only rest he could give his aching neck with the collar wrapped around it. He heard the door open behind him but this time he didn't turn to see who it was. He heard footsteps approach from behind him then he felt a hand run down his side. He jerked away from the touch. Simon slowly walked around him, taking in every inch of him with his eyes. Still he said nothing. Tim knew that this was part of his game, a battle of wills. The first to speak or make a sound would lose. Simon reached out a hand and ran one finger over Tim's cheek then down his neck as Tim scowled at him. He began unbuttoning Tim's shirt as Tim struggled against the bonds, but always keeping silent. Even a protest meant he'd lost the battle. So, instead, he kicked out and connected with Simon's shin causing him to grimace and take a step back. Simon raised a hand in a gesture to call someone over and it was then that Tim realized that they weren't alone in the room. He struggled as he felt a pair of hands grab onto his ankles and strap his legs into restraints on the floor.

Once he was fully restrained Simon cocked his head and Tim heard footsteps heading out of the room. The two were alone. Simon took a step toward him and continued unbuttoning his shirt. He ran his fingers down Tim's chest and abdomen. His touch was gentle, almost reverent. It had been eighteen long months since he'd been able to touch his prized possession this way and he was going to take his time with him. Tim began to struggle again when Simon reached the waistband of his jeans.

Simon looked up at him and raised a single finger to his lips in a silent gesture to quiet him but Tim continued to struggle to the extent he was able. Simon's expression hardened just a bit. It was enough to scare Tim into ceasing his efforts. After all he was bound tight and couldn't get away. And the longer he could keep Simon calm, he knew, the better off he would be. Simon's expression softened when he stopped struggling. He smiled and brushed a hand over Tim's chest then walked out of the room.

ooo

Horatio walked out of his office and into the print lab. Eric was leaning over a magnifier comparing fingerprints. "Eric," Horatio said and the younger man looked up. "Feel like going for a ride?"

Horatio pulled his Hummer into the parking lot of Club Descent and glanced around. The lot was about half full and he saw Max's motorcycle parked at the side of the building. He and Tim still frequented the club as regulars two or three times a month. They had started to think of it as their place, the place where they'd met, where they'd shared their first kiss, their first dance together.

They walked through the front door and were greeted by Max as he stood behind the bar. "Horatio, Eric, good ta see ya." He held out his hand and each man shook it.

"Max, we need your help," Horatio said.

"Anythin' ya need Horatio. Ya know that."

Horatio took a breath before he said anything as he decided just how much to tell Max. "We've managed to keep this out of the papers so far but over the past few days we've found the bodies of four men all killed within the past few weeks and all, it would seem, killed by the same person," Horatio explained. "On the most recent body we found a card from Club Descent."

"Really? Ya think it's someone from here?"

Eric looked at him. "Are you missing any regulars lately?"

Max closed his eyes and let out a long breath as he thought, going over the list in his head. "I can't thinka anyone who's been missin' lately. Only one who hasn't been around is Theo, the other guy who tends bar, but he went north ta visit family. I talked ta him about," he thought for a moment, "maybe two, two and a half weeks ago. He said his father was ill and he'd be stayin' there for a while."

"Where is home for him?" Eric asked.

"Canton Georgia, If I'm rememberin' right," Max answered.

Eric looked over at Horatio. "Well that would explain the trace I found, if it's him."

"You wouldn't happen to have a picture of Theo, would you Max?" Horatio asked.

Max dug around under the bar and pulled out an envelope. He took a photograph out from a pile and passed it over to Horatio. "From New Year's Eve. We were both sorta drunk, I recall."

Horatio regarded the photo for a few moments then handed it over to Eric. "What do you think?"

Eric stared at the picture. "Hard to tell, H. With the decomp, I don't know, it could be him. Better if we had DNA to compare or dental records."

"Hang on a minute," Max interrupted. "Before y'guys get too far, can I try somethin'?" He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. "If he answers…"

Horatio nodded. Leave it to Max to be practical, he thought. He watched as Max's face grew concerned then he heard him say, "Bro, gimme a call when ya get this. It's important." He flipped the phone shut. "Okay, now I'm worried," he said.

"Did he keep anything here, toothbrush, hairbrush, something that might contain his DNA?" Eric asked.

Max walked around the bar. "Follow me," he said as he walked toward a door at the back of the club. The door opened onto a locker room. Max walked up to one of the lockers, pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked it. "This one's Theo's," he said as he stepped aside.

Eric pulled on a pair of gloves from his kit before pushing the locker door fully open and examining it's contents. Inside, amongst the locker's other contents, he found a hairbrush, a towel, and a toothbrush. All had the potential to contain DNA. He bagged each item separately.

"Thanks, Max," he said. "These will help us."

"Well, all I can say is I hope yer wrong."

"I understand. I hope we are too, for your sake," Eric replied.

Horatio's cell phone rang and he stepped away from the other two men to answer the call. After a moment he hung up and turned to Eric. "Dispatch got another call, Eric. We've got to go."

"Another body?" Eric asked. Horatio nodded.

As they walked out to the front of the club Max asked, "Horatio, I've been tryin' to get a holda Tim. He's not answerin' his cell phone."

Horatio glanced at his watch and noticed it was not quite three in the afternoon. "He's in class, Max. He turns his phone off when he's teaching. If we're lucky he'll remember to turn it back on before I get home tonight. Do you want to me to give him a message?"

Max chuckled, knowing how forgetful Tim could be when it came to things like that. "Just ask'm ta gimme a call when he gets a chance."

ooo

The door opened and Tim heard footsteps heading toward him. He felt something being locked to the d-ring on his collar then his arms were released from the hook overhead. He winced as he lowered them and rolled his shoulders. His feet were still shackled so he couldn't go anywhere but he was now able to turn just enough to see who was behind him. It wasn't Simon. He saw a man, barefoot and shirtless, dressed in leather pants and a leather mask that covered his face except for his eyes and a hole for his nose. He wore a collar similar to the one Tim was wearing.

The man pulled at Tim's shirt trying to remove it. Tim pulled away but the man yanked at his collar almost choking him. His shirt was pulled off of him quickly. The man pulled Tim's arms behind his back and held them firmly as he bent down and freed his legs. He pulled at the chain that he'd attached to Tim's collar forcing him to walk with him. He led him over to one corner of the room where there was an old mattress and a bucket. The man locked the end of the chain to a d-ring on the wall with a padlock then walked away.

He returned a few moments later and tossed Tim a pair of leather pants. Tim stared at them for a moment then flung them back at him. The man took a step toward Tim and pushed him backward onto the mattress and held him down with a knee on his chest while he forcibly stripped him of his remaining clothing. He tossed the jeans, boxers, and shoes out of his reach then stood up and handed him the leather pants. Tim lay there naked for a few moments glaring at the man before he struggled to his feet and pulled the leather pants on.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping him?" Tim asked.

The man didn't answer him. He simply turned and left the room. Tim stared after him for a moment then he sat down on the mattress and pulled his knees up to his chest.

"Where are you Horatio?" he muttered.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Club Descent: Taken (5/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics / table

Prompt: #17 Fear

Word Count: 1700

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

ooo

Horatio and Eric stood over the decomposed remains of a body lying face down on the floor of the small abandoned cottage near the beach. Eric stood with his arm up blocking his nose. No matter how many times he'd been faced with severe decomp, he never got used to the smell. He wondered how Alexx could stand it day in and day out. He glanced around the small room and he could see definite signs of a struggle. He placed his kit on the floor next to Horatio's and pulled on a pair of gloves then he moved away from the body trying not to breath too deeply. As he surveyed the space he came to realize that this scene, unlike the others, hadn't been wiped clean. He looked over at Horatio.

"We've got a late night ahead of us, don't we?" Eric sighed.

Horatio pursed his lips, realizing that Eric was right. This scene had much more to offer them in the way of clues than any of the others and he knew they had to process it as thoroughly as possible. It could be their best chance at catching this killer. He also recognized that this body had been dead much longer than the others and given that this scene hadn't been wiped clean, they might be looking at his first kill. He mimicked Eric's sigh.

"We'd better get started," Horatio said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He took a couple of steps away from Eric and turned his back as he dialed. The call went right to Tim's voicemail as he'd expected. "Hey, it's me," he said quietly. "It looks like I'm not going to make it home for dinner tonight. We just picked up a case. I'm sorry and I'll see you later tonight when I get home. If you feel like it give me a call when you get this but don't wait up. Love you." He was about to hang up when he remembered. "Oh yeah, call Max. He's been trying to get hold of you."

They worked for several long, tedious, and smelly hours in the cottage but in the end it was worth it. They managed to collect a large number of fingerprints, more trace than Eric thought he'd be able to process in a month's time, and some biologicals including semen on and around the body. There were shoe prints on almost every floor surface and plant matter that they still needed to identify. It was after nine o'clock at night before they got everything back to the lab and it was after midnight by the time Horatio pulled into his driveway. He was surprised to find the entire house dark and the front lights off but he figured Tim had fallen asleep early and forgotten to turn them on.

He opened the front door quietly and headed right upstairs expecting to find his lover sprawled out on their bed. He felt bad about having cancelled their plans earlier tonight and even worse about getting so caught up in the investigation that he didn't think to call again until it was so late that he knew Tim would be asleep and he wouldn't want to wake him. He stopped when he got to the top of the stairs and saw the empty, unmade bed. He glanced around.

"Tim," he called just as his cell phone rang.

He pulled it out as he walked back down the stairs. "Horatio," he said absently. He thought he heard a noise in the kitchen and flipped the light on. He froze when he saw the open sliding glass door.

"H, it's Eric," he half heard from his phone. "We got a CODIS hit from the semen sample we found on the body."

Horatio wandered into the kitchen and saw Tim's ring sitting on the counter on top of an envelope. His heart started pounding in his chest. Eric continued to talk but Horatio was no longer hearing him. He picked up the ring and turned it over in his hand. Eric continued to say something that wasn't connecting with his brain as he picked up the envelope and pulled out a note card. In handwriting he'd seen only once before he saw written, "He's mine again. S." Horatio felt his knees go weak and he had to grip the counter to keep himself standing.

"Horatio, did you hear me." Eric's voice suddenly came into focus. "Simon's DNA was in that house, on that body," Eric said again a little more urgently.

Then he heard Horatio shaky voice say, "He's got Tim."

ooo

Within minutes of Horatio's desperate words hitting Eric's ear, his house was swarmed by police officers. The red and white lights lit up the night around his residence. His property had been roped off and he had been ushered out to await his team. In the interim he'd called Max and, trying to keep himself calm, told him what was happening. Max arrived at the house just after the officers and pulled Horatio away from all of the activity. He now stood protectively next to him leaning up against one of the patrol cars.

Horatio had left the note on the counter but kept Tim's ring clutched in his hand, which he kept pressed to his chest. It was now his only connection to his lover and he wasn't about to relinquish it. He hadn't moved or said one word since Max had pulled him away from the crowd of officers. Max had come to know Horatio well over the months since they'd met and he was certain that inside he was panicking. He also knew that he was too strong a leader to ever let his team see what he truly felt at this moment. He stirred just slightly as a Hummer pulled up in front of his property and Eric and Calleigh stepped out.

They both grabbed their kits and quickly scanned the area, catching sight of Max first then noticing Horatio next to him. Calleigh was instantly worried for him when she saw the dazed expression on his face and the way he was leaning on Max for support. She glanced up at Eric and could see her expression mirrored in his.

"I'll go talk to him," she said and walked away from Eric. She approached Horatio from the front but he gave no indication that he was aware of her presence. She reached out tentatively and ran a hand up his arm. "Horatio?" He made the barest of movements to indicate that he'd heard her. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"He took Tim," Horatio said simply. "Left a note in the kitchen." He tilted his head gesturing to the house.

"When was the last time you spoke to him?" Calleigh asked. She needed to determine how long Tim had been gone.

Horatio closed his eyes bringing up the memory of that morning. "Um, this morning before I left for work. We made plans to go out for dinner tonight but then we found another body this afternoon and I knew we'd be a while processing. I called him to say I wouldn't be able to make it for dinner but I got his voice mail."

"You didn't find that odd?" she asked.

Horatio shook his head. "He turns his phone off when he goes to class. He almost never remembers to turn it back on until much later." He thought for a moment then added, "The bed was unmade. He always makes up the bed after breakfast."

Calleigh looked at her watch. It was possible that Tim had been missing since early morning, which wasn't good. It gave them a substantial lead. "Horatio. We need to process your house," she said. He nodded. "Is there anything else we should know?"

He drew in a shaky breath. The shock of what had happened was beginning to wear off and the reality was sinking in. "The back door was open. I think that's how he got in. I was always telling him not to leave that door open," he said shaking his head. "He would never listen to me though."

"We'll find him. Don't you worry," she said confidently.

She regarded him for another moment before she noticed that he had something clutched in his left hand. She asked him about it. Slowly he opened his hand revealing a gold band. As she looked at the ring she became aware that Horatio was wearing a matching one on his ring finger.

"He left it on top of the note in the kitchen. Tim wouldn't have taken it off willingly." He locked eyes with her and pleaded, "Please don't take it from me."

She nodded and folded his fingers around the small piece of jewelry then moved his arm back up to his chest. "You can give it back to him when we find him." He nodded, taking comfort in her confidence. "Eric and I are going to go process your house now."

As she walked away Max leaned down and whispered something in Horatio's ear then caught up with Calleigh. "Hang on a second," he said. "Can I ask ya something?"

"Sure, Max. What is it?" she asked.

"Do ya really think ya can find him alive?" he asked. He hadn't wanted to ask that particular question in front of Horatio for fear of what Calleigh's answer might be.

"Believe it or not, yes," she said. "It's the finding him part I'm more concerned with. Simon is obsessed with Tim. It's unlikely he'll kill him, not after going to so much trouble to get him back. As long a he can survive until we get there."

"Tim's a survivor and I'm sure he knows Horatio won't give up," he said as he glanced back quickly. "They just exchanged rings on Saturday and made a vow to be together for ever."

Calleigh understood the significance of that sort of commitment to a man like Horatio. "We'll find him, Max. I promise," she said then turned and walked off to join Eric.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Club Descent: Taken (6/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics

Prompt: #29 Guilt

Word Count: 1600

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

ooo

Calleigh and Eric stood at the front entrance of Horatio's house looking around.

"You ever been inside Horatio's place before?" Eric asked.

Calleigh shook her head. "No, you?"

"Nope," Eric answered as they stepped inside. As they looked around Eric asked, "How is H doing with all this?"

"I think he's still in shock. Max told me he and Tim exchanged rings on Saturday."

Eric stared at her for a moment. "Rings? As in… rings?"

"As in 'til death do us part, yes," Calleigh said as she swept her flashlight over a darkened corner of the living room.

"Oh man," Eric sighed. "We've gotta find him, Cal."

"Horatio said that the back door was left open. He also made a comment that the bed was unmade. He said Tim always made the bed after breakfast so he may have been gone since early this morning."

Eric glanced at her. "That means that they could be anywhere by now." Calleigh pursed her lips. "Where do you want to start?" he asked.

"Horatio said Simon left a note in the kitchen," Calleigh said as she looked around the area again. "You know, there doesn't seem to be any signs of a struggle."

"What are you thinking, Cal?" Eric asked.

Calleigh walked slowly around the living room over to the kitchen then to the hallway by the stairs, all of her senses on alert. She slowed down near the stairs and sniffed the air.

"Do you smell that?" she asked.

Eric walked over to join her. "Sort of sickly sweet, barely noticeable," Eric said.

They looked at each other and said in unison, "Chloroform."

"He was subdued with chloroform. That's why there's no sign of struggle," Eric said. He glanced around the small hallway and eyed the space behind the stairs. "Calleigh, what do you want to bet he hid back here, waited for Tim to pass then grabbed him from behind."

Calleigh shined a light into the space behind the stairs. "Eric, print the walls and let's see what kind of trace we can get from the floor. I'm going to bag the letter then I want to talk to Horatio again. If they never go back there," she said gesturing to the stairs, "then any trace we find will probably be from Simon."

As Calleigh walked into the kitchen she heard Eric say, "I still don't understand how he got into the house in the first place. H has a security system."

"A security system only works when it's turned on," Calleigh replied as she glanced around the kitchen. "You know, Horatio told me a while back that Tim was fascinated by the idea of having the beach right outside his back door." She was staring at the coffee cup in the sink. "He would sometimes find him sitting out by the water early in the morning."

"You're thinking he walked down to the water this morning and left the door open," Eric said from behind the stairs. "You realize what that means, don't you? Simon was staking the place out, possibly for a while. He would've seen Horatio leave and knew Tim was home alone."

As Calleigh bagged the letter she said, "Eric, I'm going to go talk to Horatio again. We're going to need to process around the outside of the house once it's light out."

ooo

The scene outside the house was a blur to Horatio. It kept fading in and out of his consciousness. His mind kept filtering back to six months ago and the stories Tim had told him about his initial days with Simon. He knew what Tim had endured before and the thought of him having to go through that again was making him sick to his stomach. He was thankful he hadn't had time to eat dinner or he might have embarrassed himself.

Max kept a close eye on his friend and could see that he was barely keeping it together. He understood that the only reason Horatio wasn't losing it right now was because of all of the police officers around them. He wanted to get him away from there as soon as possible but he knew Horatio would fight that. He wasn't the sort of man to sit back and let others take charge of an investigation like this, especially when it involved someone he loved.

He saw Calleigh walking up to them and pulled Horatio's attention back to the present with a hand on his arm. Horatio looked over at Max who directed his attention toward his approaching CSI. Horatio quickly composed himself enough to speak.

"Do you have anything yet?" he asked hesitantly.

Calleigh sighed. "Maybe a timeline. What time did you leave the house this morning?"

Horatio had to think for a moment, he was having trouble keeping his mind in focus. "Um, seven-thirty, about," he answered.

"Okay, we think Tim probably walked out back and sat by the water after you left this morning, leaving the door open. By the time he came back into the house, Simon was already inside. There is a faint smell of chloroform by the stairs." She watched as his face twisted just slightly as he tried to stop the sudden surge of emotion. "Do either of you ever go into that area behind the stairs?" He shook his head not trusting his voice. "Good, then if Eric finds anything back there in the way of trace, it's probably Simon's." She gave him another moment to compose himself before asking, "What are those two rooms to the left of the stairs?"

Horatio took a breath before answering. "Bathroom and study," he said.

Calleigh nodded. "Could he have been going to take a shower?"

Horatio shook his head. "Would have used the upstairs bathroom. He was probably going to the study to grade exams before his class."

"Horatio, we think Simon's been watching you two for a while now, trying to determine your routine. Have you noticed anything unusual lately around the property?" Horatio shook his head, a look of complete surprise on his face. "Okay, we're going to have to search the property once it's light out. My guess is that Simon's been staking the place out." She looked over at Max. "Can you put him up for a little while?"

"No," Horatio interrupted. "I'm going to the lab," he said.

From off to the side he heard a voice say, "No you're not, Horatio." Rick Stetler walked up to them. "You can not work this case and you know it."

Horatio's temper flared and he pulled himself up to his full height. "Don't get in my way Rick."

Stetler back up but just slightly. He knew Horatio was upset and probably blaming himself for what had happened. "You can remove yourself voluntarily or I can make it an order."

Max watched the newcomer carefully; ready to step in if things got ugly. He could tell from Horatio's body language and tone of voice that there was a history between the two and it wasn't good. Horatio stood his ground not backing down.

"Don't make me do this Horatio," Rick said. But Horatio simply stood there silently, staring the IAB agent in the eyes. Rick sighed. "Horatio, you're officially on administrative leave," he said holding out his hand. Horatio knew what he wanted but he didn't make a move. "Horatio," Rick said a bit more forcefully this time.

Keeping his eyes on Stetler he pulled his badge and gun off of his belt and handed them over. "You know this is the right thing to do, Horatio, for the integrity of the investigation. When a police officer or a member of his family is involved in something like this, IAB gets involved." He turned to Calleigh. "You take the lead on this. Do what ever you need to do to bring him back. You will report to me, understand?"

As much as it irked Calleigh to have to take orders from IAB she knew he was right. She nodded her agreement. She looked over and could see that Horatio was seething. She glanced at Max who nodded. He laid a hand on Horatio's arm.

"Maybe we should go, let yer team do their jobs," he said.

Horatio glared at him for a moment but in the end he relented and let Max lead him away. Calleigh looked up at Stetler. "He's not going to let this go," she said.

Rick gave a quick nod. "I hope his friend there can keep him from doing anything stupid," he said. "Tell me what you have so far."

Calleigh proceeded to explain the history between Simon and Tim as best as she knew it and then told him their theory about what had happened this time. She didn't mention the fact that Horatio and Tim had exchanged rings but she did ask him how he knew to refer to Tim as family.

"Horatio came in last week and changed all of his beneficiary information, leaving his pension and life insurance to Timothy Speedle. He also had him listed as his next of kin. He could only do that if they'd committed and registered as partners. That makes Tim his family."

Calleigh nodded. She didn't like Rick Stetler but she knew that he had the best interests of the investigation in mind. She sighed knowing this was going to be harder without Horatio's help but she wasn't going to give up hope. They would find Tim and bring him back to Horatio.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Club Descent: Taken (7/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics

Prompt: #52 Forced

Word Count: 1615

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

ooo

Wednesday, April 7, 2004

Calleigh walked around to the side of the house and stared out toward the beach. She could see why Tim was so fascinated by this scene as she watched dawn break over the ocean. The sky turned from a colorless gray to a deep blue and as the sun slowly made its way over the horizon she saw its rays flicker across the surface of the water.

"Calleigh, tell me what you're seeing."

She was jarred from her thoughts by Horatio's voice in her ear. "Oh, sorry," she said into her cell phone. "I'm at the south side of the house. There's a lot of shrub coverage over here. Plenty of room for someone to hide." Rick Stetler may have taken Horatio off this case but there was no way Calleigh and Eric were going to keep him in the dark. What Stetler didn't know wouldn't hurt anyone.

Horatio paced around Max's back yard as he spoke. "Yeah. When I first moved in the landscapers said it would help to keep the house cool."

"Well, I definitely see evidence of someone back here; candy wrappers, boot prints, and some branches broken and pushed back. Someone was definitely spending some time here." Calleigh heard Horatio sighed and she seemed to read his mind. "This isn't your fault Horatio."

"I promised him, Calleigh. I promised him I'd keep him safe," Horatio said quietly. "I can't lose him now."

"We haven't lost yet. Don't give up. From everything you've told me about Simon, I don't believe he'll kill Tim. Not after going to so much trouble to get him. We only need a little time."

"I'm just afraid," he started to say then paused to take a breath. "I'm afraid he'll try to fight back. I mean, I want him to fight back, don't get me wrong. But the more he fights Simon, the worse it'll be for him. He's not used to being controlled anymore. He's not going to give in easily."

Calleigh understood Horatio's concern. "And if he fights him for too long, Simon could lash out."

"Exactly," Horatio sighed. He took a moment to focus his thoughts back on the investigation before he asked, "Do you have anything on the trace yet?"

"Not yet," Calleigh answered. "Eric's back at the lab now. He'll call as soon as he has anything."

"Okay, bag and tag everything you found behind the bushes and get castings of the boot prints. Try to match them to the ones you found in the house. Let me know what you find."

"No problem, Horatio. Hang in there," she said.

Just before he hung up Horatio said, "And, Calleigh? Thanks."

ooo

Tim was jolted awake by a tug to his collar and pulled to his feet by the man with the mask. He was dragged over to the center of the room and his arms were pulled up over his head.

"You don't have to do this," Tim said. "We could both leave now."

The man did not respond to his pleas and once he was fastened tight, the man left and he was alone. Tim pulled at his restraints but to no avail. He had promised himself that he wouldn't panic. He needed to keep it together until Horatio found him. But when he heard the door open his heart started pounding and his palms began sweating.

Simon walked up and stopped in front of him. He got right in his face and said, "Kick me again, Timmy, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

His voice held an eerie calm that Tim found menacing and he immediately lowered his eyes and stopped his struggling. He just kept repeating over and over again in his head, Horatio's going to find me. Simon reached out and ran a hand over his cheek. Tim squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to suppress a shudder and the churning in his stomach as Simon's hands explored the exposed skin of his chest.

"It's been so long, Timmy," Simon whispered against his lips. "But I knew you'd come back to me." Tim tried to turn his head away but the collar prevented him from moving his neck without causing him pain. Simon's face twisted into a perverse smile. "You're mine, Timmy. Always have and always will be."

Simon's hands moved lower on Tim's body and when he reached the waistband of the leather pants, Tim began struggling again. This time Simon was expecting his kick and stepped out of the way just in time.

He snarled at his captive, "I warned you." Then he put his fingers to his mouth and whistled. Tim heard the door open. "Here boy," Simon said, patting his leg like he was calling a dog. The masked man jogged over and fell to his knees next to his master. Simon reached over and scratched the man's head. "He's such an obedient pet. I was lucky to find him." Then he looked Tim in the eyes and growled, "Hold him still."

Tim felt the man grab his ankles and hold him in place. He tried to struggle out of his grip but the man's hands were like vices on his legs. Simon reached down gave Tim's crotch a squeeze.

Tim tried to back away and sobbed, "No!"

Despite his best efforts to keep himself calm, he began to panic and started violently struggling against his bonds and sobbing. Simon pulled a syringe from his pocket and held it up in front of Tim, whose eyes went wide in terror. He felt the needle jab into his neck and he cried out just before his body went limp and everything went dark.

ooo

Horatio slipped his phone back into his pocket and turned to see Max standing at the door watching him. He ducked his head for a moment before making his way over.

"I thought y'were taken off the case," Max said with a raised eyebrow.

"Stetler was just doing his job. Besides, he knows me well enough to know that I'm not just going to sit back and wait this out," Horatio said.

"So," Max looked at him expectantly. "Have they found anything yet?"

"They found some traces of plant material behind the stairs. Eric has it at the lab now. They're hoping that it's unusual enough to narrow down a location. Calleigh found evidence that someone's been hiding in the bushes outside the house, probably for a while," he said.

Max nodded. "Why don't ya try to get some rest? Ya won't be any good ta them if yer exhausted."

Horatio shook his head. "I can't sleep right now."

"Ya know that eventually yer body's gonna give up the fight," Max said.

"Well that time hasn't come yet."

"Then at least come in and have some coffee and food. Mikey's cookin' pancakes and he put up a pot of coffee." He could see Horatio was about to protest so he added, "Ya look like hell, Horatio. If yer not gonna sleep, then ya gotta eat."

"I don't know," Horatio sighed.

"They're gonna find'm. Ya gotta believe that. Yer gonna be no good ta him when they do if yer exhausted and starved."

Horatio sighed. "I just have a really bad feeling right now."

ooo

When Tim came to he was naked, strapped to a bed with his knees pulled up under him. His arms and feet were tied to the bedposts and he was held firmly in position by two straps, one over his legs just behind his knees and the other around his stomach. His jaw ached from the ball gag he had been fitted with. As his mind cleared from the drug he'd been given he began to realize just how serious his predicament had become. He had a painfully hard erection and he could feel the cock ring at the base of his shaft. He tried to struggle but he was effectively immobilized. He couldn't even shift a little. He heard a grunt off to his left.

"Is he awake?" Simon asked. The man with the mask grunted again. Simon walked over. "Good boy," he said and patted the man's head. Then he said, "Leave us alone," and Tim heard the man scurry off and out of the room.

He walked around, stood in front of Tim and cocked his head. "I see I have my work cut out for me," he said calmly.

He circled the bed as he spoke. "I've waited a long time, Timmy. You're fighting me now but you'll learn respect again." He stopped behind Tim and ran a hand over his ass. "Such a beautiful body."

Tim tried to protest but the gag muffled any coherent words. He felt Simon reach around and stroke him while Tim tried to will his body not to respond. "I'm going to make you come for me, Timmy. You will be mine again," he said as he unzipped his pants and lubed up.

Tim sobbed through the gag as he realized he wouldn't be able to control himself. His body was reacting of its own accord. He cried out as Simon entered him in one hard thrust. His sobs continued as Simon pounded into his body brushing his prostate with each stroke. At the last minute he reached around and snapped off the cock ring. Tim came and Simon cried out as Tim's inner muscles clamped down on him.

Simon took a moment to catch his breath before he pulled out and closed his pants. "You're mine, Timmy. Now and forever." He took a deep breath and walked out of the room leaving Tim sobbing, still tied to the bed.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Club Descent: Taken (8/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics

Prompt: #58 Mask

Word Count: 1625

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

ooo

Wednesday Evening

Calleigh stood in front of the computer. She couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. She went to pull out her cell phone to call Eric when it rang. She opened it up and heard Eric say, "I found something."

"So did I," she said urgently. "You'd better get over here."

A minute later Eric came skidding into the computer room. "What is it, Cal?"

"I worked this case with Horatio a couple of years ago, a former Green Beret who went on a killing spree in Broward County. They called us in to help. Anyway, we couldn't figure out how this guy got so good so fast with no prior history of violent crimes. Turns out, the military keeps its criminal databases separate from the civilian ones."

She turned the computer monitor around and staring back at Eric was a picture of Simon. It looked just like the police artist's sketch that had been done six months earlier. The man on the screen was a bit younger and in uniform but there was no question it was the same man.

"How did you manage to find this?" he asked.

"DNA and fingerprints. It occurred to me that it wasn't just anyone who could stake out Horatio and not be noticed. This guy is just too good, scary good. He had to have had some type of training. You aren't just born with skills like that. So I started searching professional databases."

Eric walked around the table and stood next to Calleigh. He hit a couple of buttons on the computer and read the bio that popped up. "It says here his real name is Samuel Conner. He joined the Marines at eighteen and was discharged at twenty-two for excessive violence. He was never charged with any crimes but he was flagged in the database as a potential danger." He looked over at Calleigh. "Should we tell H?"

Calleigh hesitated for a moment before saying, "Let's wait for a bit. What did you find?"

Eric opened the folder he had in his hand. "It took a while but I ID'd the plant material we found in H's house. It's from a rare plant indigenousness to Burma, amorphophallus bulbifer, a Voodoo lily."

"Funny, Simon doesn't strike me as the flower type," Calleigh said thoughtfully.

"I'm thinking he may have been around a nursery that raises them recently. There was soil in the tire marks left in Horatio's driveway."

"So, how many nurseries in Dade County specialize in Voodoo lilies?" Calleigh asked.

"About a half dozen. But I may have a way to narrow that down. Tripp's been interviewing Horatio's neighbors. A couple of them mentioned seeing a white van in his driveway yesterday morning. One of them mentioned some writing on the side that looked like it had been covered up. He's trying to get more info now."

"You think the van might be stolen from one of these nurseries?" Eric nodded. "I hope you're right."

Maxine Valera grabbed the printout before it landed on the printer tray. She glanced at it and nodded to herself, a definite match. She picked up the phone and dialed. A short while later Eric and Calleigh showed up at the DNA lab.

"What have you got, Valera?" Eric asked.

"Two matches. The DNA I extracted from the hairbrush that Lieutenant Caine brought in matches the fourth victim, you're missing bartender. And I got a CODIS hit from the fifth victim." She handed a file over to Calleigh.

"Wait a minute," Calleigh said momentarily confused. "Are you sure this is right?"

"Yeah, why?" the other woman asked.

"I read about this case yesterday when I was searching the missing persons' databases." She glanced up at Eric. "A couple in Georgia reported their sixteen year old son missing. The kid has Down's Syndrome and went missing with his nanny a couple of months ago." She passed the file over to Eric. "Our fifth victim is the kid's nanny."

ooo

Tim lay curled up on the mattress. He was beginning to give up hope. He didn't know if it was day or night and had no idea how long he'd been there. He heard a noise at the other side of the room and lifted his head slightly. He was beginning to recognize when it was Simon entering the room and when it was the other man. This was definitely not Simon. The man with the mask approached him with tray of food in his hands. He placed it on the corner of the mattress next to Tim. When Tim made no move toward the food the man grunted and pointed to the tray.

Tim closed his eyes and tried to ignore him, hoping he would just go away. He could feel the man's eyes on him but he wasn't in the mood to eat. He was too sore, too tired, and too upset. He wanted to give up the fight. He was beginning to think that Simon had taken him so far away that Horatio would never be able to find him. If this was the case he had two options, starve to death or submit. He was feeling like he had no other choice. If he was to survive, he would have to submit. And that thought made him sick.

His main concern was that he wouldn't be able to stop the panic. Simon had kept him tied up and returned several times over the course of many hours. Each time he was able to play Tim's body like an expert. As hard as Tim had tried, he couldn't prevent his body from responding and each time Simon made him come he lost a little more of himself.

He opened his eyes and the man was still standing there. He regarded Tim in a way that Tim couldn't quite figure out. His head was cocked slightly to one side and his hands fiddled with the short leather leash that hung from his own collar. Tim looked up at him for a long moment and he could almost imagine the man smiling at him under the mask. And there was something about his eyes. He wished that he could see the rest of his face.

"What do you want?" Tim asked not moving from his position. The man grunted and pointed at the tray again. "I'm not hungry."

The man cocked his head to the other side like he didn't understand what Tim had said. He knelt down next to the mattress then sat beside Tim. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. He just sat there rocking slightly.

Tim stared at him for a few moments. He couldn't figure this guy out. He knew other submissives from the club but this guy was beyond hardcore. He played his role to perfection. Tim let his eyes focus on the man's body and he began taking in little details that he hadn't noticed before. He had what looked like a surgical scar on his lower back and some bruises on his upper back. He had very little body hair, which Tim found odd. And as Tim examined him more closely he began to notice that his body proportions were off just slightly.

From off in the distance Tim heard a whistle. The man hopped up off of the mattress and turned to face Tim. He grunted again and pointed at the tray but this time Tim could almost make out the word "eat" before he scampered off.

ooo

"You're sure about this, Calleigh," Horatio said into his phone.

"Yeah. His real name is Samuel Conner. He's thirty-five, an ex-marine. He dropped off the radar about ten years ago but the military's had him flagged since '92. Apparently he beat a fellow marine so badly he put him in the hospital but the guy never pressed charges. Simon, or Samuel, was given a psych eval and it was determined that he was no longer fit to serve. He was given a medical discharge."

"All right, military training would explain a lot. He knows how to cover his tracks," Horatio said.

"Not that well," Calleigh said. "I think he's starting to make mistakes."

"How so?" he asked.

"Well, for starters, your neighbor across the street remembers seeing a white van parked in your driveway around eight o'clock this morning. She said it was there about an hour. There was some writing on the side that had been covered up. We found tread marks on the driveway that belong to a type of tire commonly found on older model Ford vans. There was soil around the treads that doesn't match the soil from your yard. We are assuming it was left there by the van. We also identified the plant material from behind the stairs. It's from a rare tropical plant, a type of voodoo lily. There are only a few nurseries that carry it. We're looking into that now."

Horatio stood up and began pacing around the living room. "How about the DNA, anything yet?"

Calleigh sighed. "Tell Max I'm sorry. One of the victims is his missing bartender, Theo." Horatio glanced over to the kitchen where Max was talking with Michael. "The last victim you found, the one from yesterday, we got a CODIS hit, turns out to be a missing man from Georgia. You remember me telling you about that boy who went missing with his nanny?"

"I do," Horatio said.

"Well the last victim is the nanny. He's probably been dead a couple of months. There is no sign of the boy."

"You think Simon's got him?"

Calleigh was silent for a moment. "All I can say is, I hope not."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Club Descent: Taken (9/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics

Prompt: #96 Writer's Choice – Doubt

Word Count: 1590

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

ooo

Simon stood in front of the counter in the makeshift kitchen. It wasn't much more than a couple of hotplates, a toaster and a sink but it had served them well this past month. He glanced behind him to where he'd set up an old card table and noticed that the boy who had been his companion for the past two months was sitting there staring at his food.

"What's the matter Garrett? You're not eating," he asked.

"Not hungry," he said without looking up.

Simon turned around and stared at the boy for a moment. "What do you mean you're not hungry? You've been hungry since the day we met. All you do is eat."

Garrett's face broke into a wide smile and he dug into his food. Simon shook his head and turned back to the pot that sat on the hotplate. Sometimes he didn't understand the boy, then a thought struck him and he turned again.

"Did Timmy say that to you when you brought him his dinner?"

Garrett smiled at him and nodded. "I'm. Not. Hungry," he said punctuating each word with a nod.

Simon rolled his eyes. He'd learned very quickly that Garrett tended to mimic behaviors and repeat things he'd heard. He'd met Garrett and his caretaker, Aaron, while he was traveling through Georgia a few months back. His first impression of the boy was that he would make the perfect companion. He was obedient, friendly, and seemed to take to Simon almost immediately. Garrett's parents had been away for a several days on a cruise and he had managed to convince Aaron to come down to Florida with him, promising they'd be back before Garrett's parents returned from vacation. Of course, once they were there he'd killed the young man and taken Garrett. At first he'd been surprised that the boy had gone with him so easily, no coercion necessary. He seemed to look at their current lifestyle as a big game. After a bit of research, he'd discovered that this was not untypical of people with Down's syndrome.

Simon poured the remaining stew into a bowl and sat down across from the boy. As he ate he said, "Garrett, I have to go out for a while tonight. I want you to clean up from dinner then go to bed. Understand?"

Garrett nodded and looked at Simon with his head cocked to one side. "Timmy?" he asked.

Simon's expression hardened just a bit. "You leave Timmy alone. He's dangerous. Do you understand?" Garrett just stared at him. "He's a very bad man and I don't want him to hurt you. You just stay away from him when I'm not around."

The boy nodded even though he didn't really understand what Simon meant by a bad man. Tim didn't seem like a bad man. Garrett thought he looked sad and he hadn't tried to hurt him earlier when he'd brought the food in. Simon finished eating and stood up.

"You clean up then get to bed. I may not be back 'till late tonight and I expect to find you asleep in bed when I get home," he said.

Garrett smiled at him and nodded. "Okay," he replied.

Simon snapped the padlock on the front entrance to the building shut and headed to his car. He needed to check on Horatio and the progress of the search for Tim that he knew was taking place. He didn't want to have to hole up in Miami for too long but he knew there would be roadblocks and police everywhere. Traveling right now would be foolhardy. He had to go scout out the situation.

Inside Garrett finished eating and cleaned up the dishes. He worked very methodically washing and drying each item, just like his mother had taught him. His thoughts drifted to his mother and father as he worked and he smiled. He thought that they would be proud of him for learning to live on his own and he hoped he'd be able to see them again soon. Simon kept promising him that if he was good and did as he was told he would bring him to visit his parents one day soon.

ooo

Simon smiled at the librarian as she gave him an access card for the computer. He'd disguised himself before going inside, just in case. He made his way to one of the machines in the back of the library and booted up. It only took him a few minutes to hack into the server and get the information he needed. There was an all points bulletin out for him and Tim. He was surprised to see his old military photo along with his real name on the screen. He couldn't find Horatio's name on any of the reports and came to the conclusion that he must have been taken off the case. He decided to take a ride past Horatio's house and see what was going on.

ooo

Simon sat in his car in the library parking lot for a few minutes gathering his thoughts. It wasn't good that the police had found his military record. They knew who he really was now and that would make it easier for them to track him. Though he hadn't used the name Sam Conner in almost ten years so maybe it wouldn't make too much of a difference. He just didn't like the fact that he wasn't in complete control of the situation. Things weren't going exactly as he'd planned and that meant having to improvise. They may have to stay in Miami longer than he'd originally planned, he thought as he drove off.

As he approached Horatio's street he could already see the telltale signs of police activity. He pulled his car up to the curb on a side street and got out. He'd disguised himself well enough that he was certain that no one would recognize him if he casually walked by on the opposite side of the street. As he passed the house he saw the yellow police tape surrounding the property and noticed that the house itself was dark. Horatio wasn't there. He continued past the house and down to the next side street. The officers at the scene paid no attention to him. He rounded the block and got back into his car. He had a feeling he knew where he could find Horatio.

ooo

Garrett lay in bed but he couldn't sleep, something was bothering him. He knew he should listen to Simon, after all Simon was his caretaker now though he didn't understand why Aaron had left him. Simon had, for the most part, been good to him even though he was much stricter than the other caretakers his parents had hired. The life they lived was different than what he was used to and the games they played were very different. He didn't really like wearing the mask and he sort of felt like the game they were playing with Tim wasn't very nice. He was beginning to wonder about things.

He got up out of bed and went to the back of the warehouse. The door to the back room was not kept locked since Tim was shackled to the wall. He opened the door just a crack and looked inside. Tim sat in the corner of the mattress with his knees pulled up to his chest. He hadn't noticed the door open. Garrett watched him for several minutes before he saw him raise his head and swipe a hand over his eyes before resting it back on his knees.

Garrett stood up ready to go into the room when he remembered Simon's first rule; never go into the room with Timmy without the mask on. Garrett jogged back to his bedroom and put the mask on. He knew that he wanted to talk to Tim but he couldn't do that through the mask. He would figure something out when he got inside. He opened the door, stepped into the room then shut it quietly behind him. Tim heard him and looked up.

"You again," he muttered. "What do you want this time?" Garrett stood there for a few moments trying to decide what to do. "Well, you just gonna stand there?" Tim asked.

A thought struck the boy at that moment. He'd done as Simon had said. He's worn the mask into the room. The rule didn't say that he had to keep it on. He glanced back at the door before he slowly reached behind his head and unzipped the mask. He pulled it off allowing Tim to see his face for the first time.

"Talk," he said. "Want to talk."

ooo

Simon sat in the parked car outside Max's house. The lights were on and he could see through the big picture window into the house. He ducked down as he caught sight of Horatio walking up to the window. At first he was afraid he might have been spotted but Horatio simply stood there staring off beyond his car. He saw a young blonde woman step up next to him and lay a hand on his arm. He turned to face her then they both stepped away from the window.

Inside, Horatio and Calleigh walked back into the kitchen and joined Eric and Max. "What is it H?" Eric asked.

Horatio shook his head then shrugged. "Just a feeling. I can't explain it." He sat down at the table. "Okay, so, what do we know so far?"

TBC

A/N: I have spent most of the past twenty-seven years, most of my adult life, working with children and adults with disabilities, including several years working in a group home for young adults with Down's syndrome. Part of the work I do now at the college here on Long Island involves working with high functioning autistic adults, including one young man with Down's syndrome, who attend the college. I have had the pleasure of watching several of them graduate over the years. Garret is a composite character blended together from several of the boys that I used to take care of. Garret represents the bulk of people with Down's syndrome, mildly retarded, trusting, friendly, and outgoing.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Now that I have the rest of the chapters back from my beta I will post the remainder of the story fairly quickly. I will try to get the remaining four chapters up by Friday.

Title: Club Descent: Taken (10/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics

Prompt: #28 Innocence

Word Count: 1630

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

ooo

"So far there are no reports of a white van being stolen in the past few months," Calleigh said. "From the information we've gathered we can track Simon's movements over that time. We know Theo was in Georgia up until two weeks ago. He was killed where we found him, probably lured there by Simon. Why, we still don't know. The other man, Aaron, went missing two months ago. I spoke to the parents of the boy who was with him. His DNA was registered in the missing children's database and doesn't match any of our current victims. They told me that Garrett is very friendly and trusting and they wouldn't be at all surprised if he went willingly with Simon."

Horatio sat quietly, listening to Calleigh's report. "You updated Stetler on all of this?"

Calleigh nodded. "Before we left for the day, yes."

"Any leads on the nurseries?" he asked.

Eric answered, "We still have two more to visit. They were closed by the time we got there this evening. We've got it on the list for first thing in the morning."

Horatio ran his fingers through his hair and nodded. He wasn't looking forward to another night of waiting and his weariness was showing on his face. Calleigh rested her hand on his arm.

"You need to get some rest Horatio," she said.

He nodded again knowing there was no point in arguing with her. He looked at the paperwork that was strewn all over the table. "Can you leave this with me or is it the original?"

Eric smirked. "Copies. We figured you'd want to look it all over yourself."

"Thanks Eric. Have you ID'd the other three victims yet?"

Eric shook his head. "So far nothing."

Horatio sighed. "Okay, well, you guys better get some rest. Call me tomorrow," he said as he stood up.

The others followed suit and Max said, "I'll show ya out."

As Eric passed Horatio he said, "Don't worry, H, we'll find him."

ooo

Tim stared at the boy for a moment. He recognized his condition almost immediately; the flattened facial features, the upturned eyes, and the slight speech impediment. He'd worked on a study with Down's syndrome children while he was working on his PhD.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Garrett."

"What do you want to talk about?"

Garrett stood a short distance from the mattress. Tim's left leg was shackled to the wall by a long chain. Tim stretched his legs out and began to stand up but stopped when Garrett took a couple of steps back. He sat back down.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said.

Garrett eyed him warily. He spoke slowly and deliberately. "He said you are a bad man. He said you are dangerous."

Tim was silent for a moment. He hoped he could make the boy understand the truth. "I'm not the dangerous one, Garrett. Simon is."

He grimaced in pain as he stood up slowly and it took him a moment to get his breath back. Garrett watched him carefully. "He hurt you?" Garrett asked. Tim nodded as he waited for the wave of dizziness to pass. "I don't like this game anymore."

Tim looked over at him. "This isn't a game, Garrett," he said as he braced himself against the wall, his legs still a bit wobbly. "Simon kidnapped me. He's going to kill me if I don't do what he wants."

Garrett thought about that for a few minutes. Simon had told him that they were playing a game, that no one was really getting hurt. It was all an act. But Tim looked like he was really hurt.

"Not a game," Garrett mumbled.

"No," Tim said as he tried to take a step forward but his legs wouldn't cooperate.

He stumbled and Garrett rushed forward and grabbed him before he fell. He helped Tim sit back down on the mattress. Tim felt like he was going to pass out. He pulled his knees up and rested his head for a few moments. Garrett sat down on the mattress next to him. Tim looked over at the boy.

"Can you get me some water?" Garrett hesitated for a moment. He'd been told not to give Tim anything except what Simon wanted him to have. "Please," Tim said.

Garrett nodded and left the room for moment. He returned with a large cup of water. Tim drank it down and began to feel a bit better. "Thank you." Garrett smiled at him and he couldn't help smiling back. Then it occurred to him to ask, "Where is Simon?"

"He went out. He said 'I have to go out for a while tonight. I want you to clean up from dinner then go to bed.'"

Tim felt a sudden surge of hope. "Can you let me go? We can both get out of here now."

Garrett shook his head. "Don't have a key," he said pointing at the lock that kept Tim shackled to the wall.

"Can you get out and go get help?"

Again the boy shook his head. "Door's locked."

"When did he go out?"

"Three hours ago," Garrett said slowly. "Eight o'clock."

"It's night," Tim muttered. "What day is it?"

Garrett smiled. He was good at dates. "Wednesday. April seventh."

"Two days," Tim said. "I've been here two days." He looked over at Garrett who was sitting next to him. "How long have you been with Simon?"

"Two months, five days. February second. He takes care of me now."

Tim had to smile. He'd known that people with mental disabilities sometimes have extraordinary abilities in a specific area. "You're good with dates." Garrett smiled and nodded. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen. Seventeen, May tenth. I want to go home for my birthday. He says I can if I'm good," Garrett said. Then his expression changed and his voice lowered. "He lies to me, doesn't he?"

Tim sighed. "I'm afraid so."

"I don't want to stay here anymore. I want to go home."

"Garrett, can you try to find a way out of here? A friend of mine is looking for me. His name is Horatio. If you can find a way out you can go to him and tell him where I am. Then we can both go home." Garrett nodded and stood up. "Be careful. If you hear Simon coming get to bed and pretend to be asleep."

Garrett walked out of the room but he left the door open. Tim struggled to his feet. He was a little more stable this time and was able to walk to the limit of his chain and see outside the room. He couldn't see much except another room.

"Hey, Garrett?" he called.

"Yeah," he called back.

"Where are we? Are we still in Miami?" he asked.

"Yeah. We are outside the city, I think," Garrett said.

Tim let out a breath. That was good news. If they were still in or near Miami then the odds were much better that they would be found. At least Simon hadn't taken them out of state. Garrett walked back into the room with some more water and more food.

"Here," he said. "Eat before he gets back."

Tim smiled at him. "Thanks," he said. "Did you find a way out?"

Garrett shook his head. "The windows are up high and have bars. The doors are locked outside."

They sat back down and Tim asked, "You said the windows are up high. Is this a warehouse?" Garrett shrugged. "Do you know what a warehouse is?" He shook his head. "A big building, not the sort that you would usually live in. A place where things are stored."

Garrett nodded. "I think so."

"What's around here? Are there any other buildings?" Tim asked.

"Yes. Like this one," he answered.

The warehouse district, he thought. They were in the warehouse district. That was good. They probably weren't far from Club Descent, if he was right. Unfortunately there wasn't much he could do about it. He finished eating and rested his head back against the wall. Garrett watched him for a moment then mimicked his position. Tim looked over at him.

"You should go back to bed. I don't want Simon to find you in here," Tim said.

Garrett shook his head. "I don't want to go back."

Tim sighed. He wasn't sure what exactly Simon would do when he got back and found Garrett with him but he was sure it wouldn't be good.

"Garrett, I'm afraid he's going to hurt you if you stay here," Tim said. "I'm not sure I can do much to stop him."

His whole body still hurt and he was chained to the wall. All Simon had to do was pull Garrett out of his reach and he'd be helpless to do anything but watch. Garrett looked over at him.

"I am stronger than I look. And I am smarter than he thinks I am," Garrett said.

Tim smirked. "You think you can take him, don't you?" Garrett nodded. Tim wasn't crazy about this idea but he couldn't do much himself and Garrett would probably do something anyway at this point. "Okay," he said. "When we hear him come in you go hide behind the door. Is there anything you can use as a weapon around here?"

Garrett thought about it for a moment. "Frying pan," he said and ran out of the room.

Tim chuckled thinking that that was very fitting. Garrett walked back into the room wielding a large frying pan. "Good, go leave it behind the door. I'll distract him and you sneak up behind him." Garrett carefully placed the frying pan behind the door then went back and sat next to Tim. "Now we wait," Tim said.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Club Descent: Taken (11/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics

Prompt: #21 Brutal

Word Count: 1550

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

ooo

Thursday, April 8, 2004 (early morning)

Max rolled over in bed and stretched. His stomach grumbled. He looked at the clock and saw that it was only two in the morning. He looked over and Michael was sound asleep so he quietly got out of bed and padded into the kitchen to get a snack. When he got to the doorway he saw Horatio sitting at the table, his head resting on his arms. Max walked around to the side of the table and chuckled to himself when he saw that Horatio was sleeping. His body had finally given up the fight. He decided to forgo his snack so as not to disturb him.

He left the kitchen and headed back to bed. But sleep didn't come easily for him. His thoughts kept drifting to Tim. He'd offered to help with the search but the others had convinced him that it would be better if he kept an eye on Horatio, kept him from doing anything stupid. He'd agreed but against his better judgment and now he was beginning to feel like it was time for both of them to get out there and do something.

Michael rolled over in his sleep and snuggled up against his arm. He looked down at him. He couldn't even begin to understand what Horatio must be going through right now or how he was keeping it together. He just kept thinking that if it were Michael who'd been kidnapped by some deranged maniac he'd go ballistic.

ooo

Tim was dozing when he heard a loud noise out in the warehouse. He quickly shook Garrett, who had fallen asleep. "He's back. Quick, go hide."

Garrett shook himself awake and scampered off to hide behind the door. Tim heard Simon walking around outside the room then he heard him yell Garrett's name. When no one answered he heard him curse then he heard footsteps coming toward the room. Simon stopped in the doorway and glared at Tim.

"Where is he?" he hollered. Tim stood his ground and remained silent. "Answer me," Simon growled as he stepped into the room.

"I don't know who you mean," Tim answered him remaining surprisingly calm.

Simon moved further into the room. "Don't lie to me. Where's Garrett?"

Tim didn't back down. He didn't know where his sudden burst of courage was coming from but he just looked Simon in the eyes and said, "Who?"

He could see Garrett silently sneaking up behind Simon so he kept his eyes locked with Simon's trying to keep the other man focused on him. Garrett got within striking distance and swung. Without turning around Simon reached back and grabbed his arm before the frying pan could connect with his head. He twisted the boy's arm causing Garrett to cry out in pain and the frying pan to clatter to the floor then pulled him into a headlock.

He glared at Tim. "Is this the best you could come up with?"

Tim darted forward. "Let him go," he yelled. But Simon was standing just outside his reach.

"I'm disappointed Garrett. I had high hopes for you. I thought you were smarter than this," Simon said.

He dragged the boy over to the center of the room and pulled his arms up over his head. He fastened him securely to the cuffs hanging from the ceiling then turned his attention back to Tim who stood there defiantly. Garrett struggled to free himself but in the end all he could do was watch helplessly as Simon proceeded to beat Tim unconscious then storm out of the room and slam the door shut.

Garrett struggled to get free and over to Tim. He pulled at the handcuffs until his wrists bled. As his frustration and his anger rose, he wrapped the chains around his hands and, in a sudden burst of adrenaline fueled strength, he pulled at the chains and heard a cracking sound. The bolt that was screwed into the wooden ceiling beam loosened. One more pull and it was out, the chain landing with a loud clank on the floor. He ran over to Tim and fell to his knees. He placed his hand gently on his chest and realized he was still breathing.

"Timmy," he called as he shook him slightly. "Wake up." Tim moaned but didn't open his eyes. "I don't know what to do," Garrett said quietly but Tim didn't regain consciousness.

ooo

Simon stormed out of the warehouse. He was fuming with anger and so distracted that he forgot to bolt the outside door. He was no longer in control of the situation and he realized that he might have just killed Tim in his fit of fury. He knew he needed to calm himself down before he went back inside so he just walked. He would need to do something about Garrett. He couldn't keep him any longer. He'd become a liability.

He kept walking until he noticed that he left the warehouse district and was wandering through a commercial area that he recognized. He stopped when he saw the familiar outline of Club Descent a short distance away. He quickly turned and headed back the way he'd come. From half a block away a man moved in the shadows. He'd recognized Simon almost immediately and began to follow him.

ooo

Max walked through the front door just as the sun was coming up. Michael had heard his motorcycle pull into the driveway and met him at the door.

"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded as Max walked in.

"I couldn't sleep," he said. "I went down to the club for a while."

"Well you went out without your cell phone. I was worried," Michael said, a bit calmer.

Max looked down at his partner. The differences between the two men were striking. Where Max was tall and muscular, Michael was small and thin; he barely came up to Max's chin. And for all of his imposing presence, Max tended to be very gentle and soft-spoken. Whereas Michael had a quick temper.

"I'm sorry," Max said gently. "I didn't think. I just needed to get out of the house for a while." He leaned in and gave him a quick kiss.

"Did Horatio go with you?" Michael asked.

Max raised an eyebrow. "No, he was asleep when I left."

They heard the front door open and they both turned to see Horatio walk in. He stopped and stared at them for a moment. "What?"

Both men shook there heads and said, "Nothing," in unison.

"Where were you?" Max asked.

Horatio shrugged. "Went for a walk. Have you heard anything yet?" But before either of them could answer Horatio's cell phone rang. He answered it without looking at the caller ID. "Yeah," he said into the receiver.

"Horatio?"

He recognized Jess' voice and winced as he realized he'd forgotten to call her to tell her what had happened. "Jess, I meant to call you yesterday."

"What's going on? I can't get a hold of Tim and he hasn't been to work in a couple of days."

"He, um…" he started to say but a sudden surge of emotion took his voice. He handed the phone over to Max and walked off into the kitchen.

Max watched Horatio sit down at the table in front of all of the papers he'd left there last night and rest his head in his hands. He returned his attention to the phone.

"Jess, it's Max."

"Max, what is going on?" she asked, now slightly panicked.

Max took a seat on the sofa and explained everything to her. Before he hung up he promised that one of them would call her later hopefully with more information.

ooo

Garrett hadn't moved from Tim's side all night. He was scared, more scared than he'd ever been. Every time he heard a noise he was certain it was Simon coming back. He'd tried several times to wake Tim up but other than a groan or a moan he didn't regain consciousness. Finally as he sat there with one arm resting on Tim's chest he seemed to stir. Garrett watched his eyes flutter open and he smiled down at him.

"Timmy," Garrett said cautiously.

"What happened?" Tim muttered.

He tried to move but pain shot through his body and his face contorted and he collapsed back onto the mattress. He had no clear memory of the beating. The last thing he remembered was hearing a noise in the warehouse and telling Garrett to go hide.

"Where's Simon?" Tim asked once the pain subsided enough for him to speak.

"I don't know," Garrett answered. "He didn't come back."

Tim thought that was odd, unless his plan was just to let them die. He looked up at Garrett, though his vision was still clouded. "Did he hurt you?" he asked.

Garrett looked down at his wrists, still in the handcuffs with the chain attached. He held them up so Tim could see. It took Tim a minute to realize what he was looking at. "You pulled that out of the ceiling?" Garrett nodded. "Are the doors locked?"

"Yes, I can't break them."

Tim took a painful breath. All they could do now was wait.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Title: Club Descent: Taken (12/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics

Prompt: #71 Pain

Word Count: 1515

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

ooo

The guilt was too much; he couldn't take it anymore. Horatio sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands listening to Max explain to Jess that Tim had been kidnapped, that they didn't know where he was, that they had no idea how long it would be before they found him or if he'd even be alive when they did find him. He could tell from what Max was saying that Jess must have been crying on the other end of the line. He was having trouble holding back his own tears. He wasn't used to sitting back and doing nothing while his team was out searching. He should be there with them, by their side. He should be there when they find Tim. His should be the first face he sees, not Calleigh's or Eric's or worse, Stetler's. He felt a large hand land gently on his back.

"I can't just sit here anymore, Max," Horatio said as he stood up and walked toward the door.

Max followed. He wasn't going to try to stop him this time. "Here," he said handing over Horatio's cell phone. "Take this." He glanced back at Michael then over to Horatio again. "I'm going with you."

Max didn't leave any room for argument in his statement and Horatio just nodded. He went back to the kitchen and grabbed the pictures of Samuel Conner and the boy he was supposed to have taken. Then he took a photo of Tim from their album. Max glanced over at him.

"Where do we start?" he asked.

"The last two nurseries are over in the commercial district, by the warehouses and the club. We start there," Horatio said as they headed for the door.

ooo

As Tim's mind slowly cleared he tried to assess his physical condition. He had a screaming headache and was having some trouble breathing, probably cracked ribs. He couldn't move his right arm, his shoulder was likely out of joint, and he was fairly certain that his left ankle was broken. This last bit worried him more than anything. He was lying flat on his back and he knew if he didn't get his leg elevated he could develop gangrene or a blood clot and possibly lose his foot or worse. He also knew that what needed to be done was going to hurt like hell.

"Garrett?"

The boy came jogging over to him. He'd been trying to find a way out of the room. "Yes."

"I um…need you to do me a favor," Tim said a bit hesitantly.

"What favor?" Garrett asked.

Tim took a breath. "My left leg is broken. It needs to be elevated. Is there anything around here we can get it up on?"

Garrett gathered up all the pillows and blankets from the mattress and folded them together. He looked down at Tim. "Is this good?" he asked.

"Yes. Put the pillows down next to my left leg. You'll have to wrap the blanket around after my foot is up to stabilize it so it doesn't move," he said. Garrett did as he was told. "Now listen to me carefully, okay?" The boy nodded. "This is going to hurt like hell and I'm probably going to pass out again."

Garrett interrupted, "I don't want to hurt you."

"I know, but if you don't do this I could lose my foot." Garrett nodded. "There is something else too. My right shoulder is dislocated. Do you know what that means?"

Garrett's eyes went wide and he nodded. "My little brother did that once. Papa had to put it back."

"Did you see what he did?" Garrett nodded again.

It was an image that had seared itself into his memory. His little brother was only six and he had fallen from the swing set. He remembered watching as his father popped the joint back and his little brother screamed and begged for him to stop.

"Do you think you can do that for me? If it's any help, I think I'll be unconscious by then so it won't hurt me." Garrett nodded as a tear ran down his cheek. "It's okay, I won't be mad at you. I promise."

Garrett moved down to the end of the mattress but he hesitated. "Please Garrett. I don't want to lose my foot. Just do it."

The boy nodded and reached down taking a hold of the broken leg. Tim cried out in pain as he felt bone rub against bone then promptly passed out. Garrett propped his leg up on the pillows and tucked the blankets around to stabilize it. Then he moved to the other side and took a hold of Tim's arm. He repeated the same movements he remembered seeing his father do to his little brother. It was harder than he'd imagined and he had to use all of his strength, but he finally heard the sickening pop that meant that the joint was back in place. He gently laid Tim's arm across his chest and sat back against the wall. He started rocking and saying, "I'm sorry," over and over.

ooo

Horatio pulled his car out of the parking lot of the first of the two nurseries. The owners were not missing any white vans and neither of them recognized any of the pictures. So he followed the directions to the second nursery and pulled into the lot.

"What do we do if this is a dead end, Horatio?" Max asked.

Horatio sighed. "We start canvassing the area. Get these pictures to as many business owners as possible. Someone has to have seen something."

They walked into the small building on the nursery grounds and approached the man standing behind the counter. "Can I help you?" he asked.

Horatio pulled out the photos. "I hope so. I'm Lieutenant Caine with the Miami-Dade crime lab. We're searching for a missing person and I'm hoping you may have some information." He showed the man the pictures. "Do you recognize any of these people?"

The man looked at the pictures one by one. He placed the photo of Tim aside, saying that he didn't recognize him and did the same with the photo of Garrett. When he got to the photo of Samuel Conner he stopped and examined it for a bit.

"He looks familiar," the man said.

Max and Horatio exchanged a glance. "Can you remember from where?"

The man pursed his lips. He thought for a few moments then said, "Yes. He bought one of our old vans a couple of months ago. I told him it was piece of crap but he said he was looking for something cheap that he could fix up himself."

"Did he leave you any sort of information, address, phone number, anything?" Horatio asked.

The man shook his head. "Paid cash and drove it away. Though I do see it driving around the area sometimes. I think the guy works around here somewhere, one of the warehouses maybe."

"When did you see the van last?" Horatio asked.

"A couple days ago. Tuesday, I think."

The sudden surge of hope Horatio had felt quickly faded. Tuesday was the day Tim was taken. If the man hadn't seen the van since then, there was no guarantee that they were still in the area. But there was a chance and he wasn't going to give up.

"Thanks," he said to the man then he turned to Max. "Come on. We need to canvas the warehouse district."

As they walked out Max said, "That's a huge area. We should call Eric and Calleigh for help." Horatio hesitated knowing he was ordered to stay away but in the end he knew Max was right so he pulled out his cell phone and called Eric. Less than half an hour later there was a team of officers searching the maze of streets that made up the commercial district looking for the white van.

Horatio and Max searched with Calleigh and one uniformed officer. Eric was with one of the other teams and Frank with another. Horatio's cell phone kept ringing but each time he looked at the caller ID it read "Stetler" so he ignored it. He would deal with the consequences later. As they rounded yet another corner Horatio spotted something and called for the driver to stop. Off in the distance, parked in front of a large warehouse building, was a white van.

The officer radioed to the others that they'd found something. The call came back for them to wait for back up but Horatio and Max were already out of the car and heading toward the warehouse. Calleigh caught up to them.

"We should wait for back up," she said as the other officer joined them.

"No," Horatio insisted. "There may not be time."

He took charge of the situation as Lieutenant Caine came to the forefront. He didn't have his service weapon but he did have his personal revolver. He pulled it out of its holster and the other's followed suit. Slowly, carefully, they approached the building.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Title: Club Descent: Taken (13/13)

Author: Aeon Cole

Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino

Rating: FRAO

Genre: AU

Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Challenge: 50 Dark Fics

Prompt: #83 Love

Word Count: 1925

Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.

ooo

Garrett sat by Tim's side. It had been several hours since he'd fixed Tim's arm and leg but he still hadn't woken up again. Each hour that passed he was sure that Simon was going to return. He was sure that when Simon did return something very bad was going to happen. So when he heard a noise out in the warehouse a few minutes later he started to panic. He ran over to where he'd been forced to drop the frying pan and picked it up. He went over to the door and stood there with his weapon raised.

He heard footsteps outside then he heard someone yell clear. It wasn't Simon's voice. He heard people talking and decided to take a chance. He yelled.

"Help. We're in here."

There was a commotion at the door and he heard someone prying the lock off. He ran back to Tim to protect him, in case he was wrong. The door sprung open and four people came running in, three of them with guns drawn.

Horatio scanned the room and his eyes fell on Tim. He ran over and sunk to his knees. The first thing he did was to place a hand on Tim's chest. He was relieved to find a strong heartbeat.

"He's hurt," Garrett said quietly.

For the first time Horatio became aware of the boy's presence. He looked over at him and recognized him from the missing persons' photo. "Garrett?" Horatio asked. The boy nodded. "What happened?"

"He hit Timmy. He hurt him bad. Broke his leg," Garrett tried to explain.

"Simon?" Horatio asked. Garrett nodded. "Where is Simon?"

Garrett shook his head. "Don't know. He left, didn't come back yet."

Tim began to stir as he heard the voices around him. His eyes fluttered open and his gaze landed on Horatio.

"Horatio?" he muttered, not sure if he was dreaming or not.

"I'm here. You're safe now," Horatio said gently.

"I knew you'd find me," Tim said groggily. He tried to move but pain shot through his body and he collapsed back.

"Stay still," Horatio said. "The paramedics are on their way."

ooo

Horatio sat in the hospital waiting room with Garrett by his side. Max sat across from them keeping watch. The boy had been checked out by a doctor, his wrists had been bandaged where the handcuffs had cut him and he'd been given a clean bill of health. He'd been very reluctant to leave Tim's side, as had Horatio, but in the end he'd agreed to stay with Horatio and wait. Tim's leg needed surgery, he had hairline fractures in two of his ribs and a concussion, but the doctor said that Garrett had done a good job reseating Tim's shoulder.

Garrett sat leaning up against Horatio. He felt safe in the older man's presence. The doctors had given him a set of scrubs to wear when the CSIs had taken his clothes to be processed for evidence. Horatio had given him his jacket to wear. He looked up at Horatio.

"Timmy said you would find us," he said quietly. "He said you were looking for him."

Horatio smiled. He had hoped all along that Tim wouldn't give up and do what ever he could to stay alive until he found him. He just wished it could have been a bit sooner.

"He saved me," Garrett said.

"And you saved him," Horatio answered him. "You kept him safe and alive until I could get there. Thank you."

Garrett smiled at him but his expression quickly changed to one of concern. "Is he going to be okay?"

"The doctors say yes, but it will take some time," Horatio answered.

"Horatio." The voice from the doorway got his attention immediately. He was almost surprised that Stetler hadn't arrived sooner.

"Rick," Horatio said in a steady voice. He was waiting for the other man to launch into him about not following orders.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He glanced at Garrett then to Max and added, "Alone."

Garrett took hold of Horatio's arm not wanting him to leave. "It's okay. I'll be right over there. I promise I won't leave your sight." Garrett reluctantly let him go and he walked over to Stetler. "Do we have to do this now, Rick?"

"We'll deal with the whole you not following orders thing later. That's not why I'm here." Horatio cocked his head. "There's an agent from Child Protective Services here for Garrett. His parents are flying in from Georgia this afternoon."

"No," Horatio said plainly.

"What do you mean, no?" Rick questioned.

"I mean no, your not taking him now." Rick was about to protest when Horatio continued. "Look, he's been through enough already. He barely understands what's going on. He and Tim bonded back in that warehouse and you are not taking him until he has a chance to see that Tim's okay. Do you understand?"

Rick looked over at the boy who was sitting in his chair gently rocking back and forth. He looked back at Horatio. "What do I tell CPS?" Rick asked realizing it was pointless to argue.

"If the agent wants to wait here with us she's welcome to do so. But he's perfectly safe with me. She can bring his parents here when they arrive. If she doesn't like it she can deal with me," Horatio said leaving no room for argument.

Rick smirked. He would love to see that confrontation. He nodded and stepped out into the hallway. Horatio went back and took his seat next to Garrett. The boy took a hold of his arm again and rested his head on his shoulder.

"I don't like him," he whispered to Horatio.

Horatio smirked. "You're not alone," he said.

ooo

The doctors moved Tim to a private room after the surgery. He was lucky that the fracture was clean and they were able to pin the bone from the inside. Horatio, Garrett and Max sat by his bedside. Horatio never took his eyes off of him. Tim's leg was in a cast from his knee down and elevated. His chest was taped to protect his fractured ribs, his right arm was immobilized and he had a bandage on his forehead. He had bruises over most of his body and his right eye was still swollen shut. But he was alive and he would recover and for that Horatio was thankful.

Garrett stuck close to Horatio. He was a little afraid of Max who towered over him like a giant. The CPS agent, after a quick welfare check, had agreed to leave the boy in Horatio's custody until his parents arrived. As they waited Horatio noticed Garrett staring over at Max. He and Max exchanged a glance.

He looked down at Garrett. "You know, he won't bite." Garrett looked up at Horatio obviously not completely convinced. "He's one of Tim's closest friends," Horatio said. "And he drives a really cool motorcycle." This got Garrett's attention.

"Really," he whispered. Horatio nodded. Garrett turned his attention to Max. "What kind of motorcycle?"

Max smirked. The bike always won over the kids. "A Harley. Maybe I can take you for a ride one day," Max offered.

Garrett immediately perked up upon hearing that. "Yes. Please," he said.

From the bed they heard, "No fucking way he's getting on a bike with you. You drive like a maniac."

They all turned their attention to the bed's occupant. Horatio was immediately at his side and took Tim's hand in his as he sat on the side of the bed. "How are you feeling?" he asked, not taking his eyes off of him.

"Like I've been run over by a truck," Tim answered keeping his eyes locked on Horatio.

They stared at each other for a few moments before Horatio said quietly, "I was afraid I would never see you again."

Tim lifted his left hand and brushed Horatio's cheek. "I never doubted you'd find me," he said.

Horatio took his hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Tim's ring. He carefully slipped it onto his ring finger. "I kept this safe for you," he said.

He leaned in close but just as he was about to touch his lips to Tim's he heard giggling behind him. He stopped. "You're going to kiss Timmy," Garrett said through his giggles.

Horatio glanced back and said, "You know what Garrett? You're right." Then he closed the remaining distance and placed a kiss on Tim's lips. Tim reached up and placed his hand at the back of Horatio's head, holding him in place.

Garrett giggled again and hid his eyes. Max leaned over to him and said, "Why don't you and I go for a walk and leave these two alone for a while?"

Epilog

After the euphoria of being rescued and seeing Horatio again had worn off, Tim became sullen and withdrawn. His mood lasted for several days until finally Horatio was able to get him to talk. He was still in the hospital and would be for a while, as his leg needed monitoring and time to heal and because of the fact that he wouldn't be able to walk on crutches because of his shoulder. Horatio had gotten used to Tim's mood swings and knew that all he really had to do was wait him out and he'd eventually open up. But the doctors got worried when he stopped eating so Horatio decided it was time to prod him for information.

He started out by telling him about the investigation and everything that happened while he was gone. It ended late one night with Horatio lying in the hospital bed with Tim in his arms as he confessed, through his tears, everything that had happened to him while he was Simon's captive. He even told Horatio about the emails he'd been receiving in the months before the kidnapping. He was sure that Horatio wouldn't want anything to do with him when he found out that he'd lied to him about the emails, but Horatio just held him and told him that everything would be all right.

Garrett's parents and brother arrived in Miami and were reunited with their oldest son. They had agreed to stay for a while until Garrett felt comfortable leaving Tim. Horatio took care of paying for a hotel suite and they visited the hospital regularly. Seeing Garrett with his family again helped to pull Tim out of his sullen mood though they were all still worried over the fact that Simon had, once again, managed to slip away. He hadn't been seen or heard from. There weren't any emails and he'd left all of his things back at the warehouse. He simply seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth.

Horatio knew that this situation would make it that much harder for Tim to return to a normal life after he physically recovered from his injuries. When he finally was able to go home, Horatio insisted on only one thing; Tim needed to go for counseling. He gave him the number of a therapist whom he'd worked with before. Tim didn't argue. He'd reached the point where he knew he needed to talk to someone besides Horatio. Over the course of several months, life settled back into a routine for the couple. But one question still hung over them. Where was Simon?

Fin (for now)

A/N: With any luck I plan to start posting the third part of this sometime in December.


End file.
